War is not healthy for fancy chickens and other living things.
Sponsored by
L337.com
InsightSoft claims to have produced a query-based summarizer for the low low price of $149 (95.15 British Pounds). It offers the ability to summarize information regarding any search term, through a specified collection of documents, or via a Google search. Although a portion of these claims are fulfilled, this loose amalgamation of plop performs its tasks with a lack of grace that is surely not commensurate with the hefty price tag. Even Le Petomane would have been intrigued to observe this application’s flawless sphincter control.
Lacking even the ability to summarize a web search of the term “loosey goosey”, and producing only a list of link titles for PerversionTracker, TR takes the principle of wabi-sabi to its logical extreme. The rounded-rectangle-and-crap interface reminds of of something, something I cannot quite recall. Yet it nibbles at the edge of my memory, like some half-forgotten and sweaty marketing thug. Then I realize: it looks like REALbasic. That’s why Lenny had to die. That’s why I can’t stand the sight of chartreuse. That’s why I’m in such exquisite agony
TR also manages to quickly crash while summarizing a folder full of documents, and cannot seem to summarize its own read me file. With features like these, who needs awk? The furious wealth of thimble-brained design in this application supports only one conclusion: you gotta roll with TextRoller or you get rolled. With this incredible, photo-realistic icon, rendered at a massive 32x32 pixel resolution in stunning 8-bit color, who could refuse?
InsightSoft, you have clumsily botched what could potentially be a nice concept, and for this, I assign a 9.2.
Download TextRoller
Posted by ladd at March 23, 2003 09:03 PM
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I refuse to write anything in the comments section that actually has to do with the software being reviewed. Henceforth, I say:
Pooooooooooooooop!
Posted by: fuddes on March 23, 2003 11:50 PMAnd the web site! Oh, my . . .
What is with that vertical one dimensional pong game (or whatever the hell it is) it has going on? I also give it the Oscar for Best Use of What-the-hell-is-that-background-supposed-to-be,-marble? Pseudo-3D Button Images Apparently Lit From My Trash And Showcasing A Crappy Red Scrawling Font That Actually Makes My Own Scratchings Look Like Calligraphy.
Love the ad at the bottom, too. Nothing quite says "Software worth dropping a Ben-and-a-half on" like a hosting banner. Companies like this make me wish the cold war were still a-brewin'.
Posted by: Bleeding Eyes Murphy on March 24, 2003 12:09 AMNot man enough for the Green Chartreuse eh?
Posted by: Diggory on March 24, 2003 06:04 AMcd /Applications; ln -s /System/Library/Services/SummaryService.service
Posted by: Double Worsted on March 24, 2003 07:05 AMApple's Summary Service summary of this review:
InsightSoft claims to have produced a query-based summarizer for the low low price of $149 (95.15 British Pounds).... Although a portion of these claims are fulfilled, this loose amalgamation of plop performs its tasks with a lack of grace that is surely not commensurate with the hefty price tag.
...Lacking even the ability to summarize a web search of the term ?loosey goosey?, and producing only a list of link titles for PerversionTracker, TR takes the principle of wabi-sabi to its logical extreme.
...The furious wealth of thimble-brained design in this application supports only one conclusion: you gotta roll with TextRoller or you get rolled.
Posted by: Ginkgo on March 24, 2003 09:05 AMI like how the "sample query" on the site is for such common words as "Middle East Conflict", "peace", and "terrorism". Gee, not trying to score higher in any Google searches, are we?
Bah.
I also can't help but marvel at the irony of calling your company "Free Text Technologies" when your products are not free in any sense of the word (except perhaps "free of features"?).
Posted by: Wilko on March 24, 2003 02:20 PMThat's "Free" as in "Free Wynona", not "free" as in "free beer".
"Target Audience: This software is designed primarily for analysts (business, intelligence, science) and those having big or/and regular writing assignments (essays, reports, dissertations)."
I did *not* think that sentence was going to end with "writing assignments." Pity too, I could use some regularity.
Posted by: Rob on March 25, 2003 09:21 PM;)
Posted by: ip address on May 4, 2003 03:55 AMwhat I want is a piece of software to do the opposite.
I type in "Middle East Confict" (see above) and I get an entire news article ready to submit to Reuters.
Posted by: JD on May 29, 2003 03:22 PMI agree with the author.
Posted by: postal code on July 26, 2003 12:13 AM
Nice post.